Antivirus Protection
How Antivirus Protection Works:
Antivirus software protects your computer by scanning your files, programs, and applications to identify the presence of known malware. Antivirus software will also check systems for the presence of new or undiscovered malware threats continually being created and disseminated by Internet Criminals. The antivirus software actually checks in real time all files, programs, and applications going in and out of your computer, and compares them real time to its database of known malware to identify matches. Similar and identical matches to the known malware database are segregated and scanned, then quarantined or destroyed.
Antivirus software uses four types of detection techniques:
- Signature detection, is a method that scans files that are brought into a system to analyze and detect malicious files with known signatures.
- Specific detection, scans for known parts or types of malware or patterns that are linked by a common codebase indicating a modified malicious file that does not have a known signature.
- Heuristic detection is a type of virus detection that looks for unknown infections by spotting suspicious file structures.
- Generic Detection, is a heuristic approach that enables antivirus software to identify and remove previously unknown malware threats that are not yet included in the antivirus malware database of known signatures. Generic detection works by analyzing the behavior and characteristics of a file or program to determine if it has malicious intent. This includes examining the file’s code, looking for suspicious patterns or structures, and identifying any attempts to modify key system components or access sensitive information.
If any of these detections find something suspicious, the antivirus software will either quarantine or destroy the suspicious file or program to prevent any harm to the system.
Antivirus (AV) software is necessary for protecting endpoints from daily data security threats (an endpoint is a device connected to a network from which data either enters or leaves the network) . The software detects and immediately responds to identified malware on any infected device. Antivirus software must be updated on a regular basis to maintain and enhance its ability to identify newly created threats.
Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV) protects by:
- Machine learning algorithms: Examining thousands of file characteristics and endpoint activities in near real-time and identifies anomalies and unexpected actions.
- Behavioral analysis: Establishing baseline behaviors, then analyzing users, devices, applications and systems, it identifies suspicious behaviors that indicate malicious activity or cyberattack.
- Threat intelligence: Integrating with the latest threat intelligence on the sources, tactics and impacts of specific malware attacks, it detects and blocks them faster and more effectively.
Internet Criminals attempt to bypass or defeat Antivirus (AV) software and Next-Generation Antivirus (NGAV) detection by using increasingly sophisticated attack techniques that leave your business systems vulnerable to other types of data security attacks that we explain elsewhere (ex.: ransomware, fileless malware, credential harvesting, data exfiltration,…).
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) is a layered, integrated endpoint security solution that:
- Monitors end-user devices continuously
- Collects endpoint data for centralized machine learning
- Analyzes data to detect suspicious behaviors or activity
- Responds with a “rule-based” automated response. This includes automatic quarantine, deletion, stopping the suspicious process or isolation of the endpoint to prevent the spread of an infection.
- Escalates system response to threats that bypass automated protections so human data security agents can analyze them and quickly take action.
- Human agents analyze, detect, investigate, report and alert our security team of any relevant threat in process.
5 Main Functions of an EDR
- Endpoint Detection: Detects malicious activity on endpoints, such as computers, laptops, and other devices connected to the network. Identifies malicious files, suspicious network traffic, and other indicators of compromise.
- Threat Hunting: Helps security teams uncover threats and investigate suspicious activities, malicious files, suspicious network traffic, and other indicators of compromise by collecting vast amounts of endpoint data, including logs, events, and file metadata, into a centralized repository known as a data lake.
- Incident Response: Enables security teams to respond quickly and effectively to security incidents. Identifies the incident’s source. Determines the incident’s scope. Contains and remediates the incident.
- Forensics: Helps security teams collect and analyze evidence from endpoints to identify the root cause of an incident. Collects system logs, memory dumps, and other artifacts from the endpoint.
- Compliance: Helps businesses meet regulatory and industry compliance requirements. Identifies and remediates vulnerabilities. Implements security policies. Monitors for suspicious activity.
Source: https://www.spiceworks.com/it-security/endpoint-security/articles/what-is-edr/
Advanced Threat Protection featuring Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR):
EDR technology adds additional layers of endpoint security by detecting suspicious behaviors and providing actionable alerts about behavior patterns that indicate high probability threats. This is done by utilizing advanced techniques, such as behavioral analysis and heuristics (machine learning) to identify advanced threats that evade traditional AntiVirus software solutions.
Why an Integrated Solution?
Today, Protecting Your Business Requires Both Next-Generation Integrated Antivirus Protection and the Advanced Threat Protection featuring Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) technology.
At Compliance Specialists, we integrate these technologies into our Secure Endpoint Monitoring system alerting us to events that need attention. Our system automatically generates a high-priority service ticket for any critical event. This speeds active response, remediation and compliance reporting.
Make sure your business is protected from increasingly common threats from Internet Criminals and is fully in Compliance with all relevant Data Security & Privacy Laws.
CLICK HERE for information on the 5 Layers of Small Business Security Protecting Your Data or to select from our Solid Foundation Compliance Programs™ to fit your business,
Or CLICK HERE if you have any questions! Compliance Specialists. We are Protecting You To Grow™!
